Benefits of Waiting?

The psalmist sings, “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning” (Psalm 130:5-6).

In our modern day of drive-throughs, microwave ovens, Netflix, and DVR, it is hard to imagine that there is any value to waiting. Who wants to wait… especially for something good? But is there some benefit we are missing if we avoid waiting?

In ancient times, before the invention of infrared binoculars and high-illumination lighting, cities would have many watchmen stand guard throughout each night. There was no way to know what might be lurking in the darkness, but the watchmen would sound an alert if anything made an appearance. The great fear was that some enemy would invade under the cover of night.

In the gloom of night, these watchmen would wait for the morning to bring light and visibility. Oh, how they must have longed to see the morning sun to break across the sky! When they finally saw the brightness of dawn, their hearts must have been jubilant.

How many sunrises have you seen? Does the sight enthrall you? Do you praise God for the spectacle and celebrate with new delight? Oh, how different our perspective might be with just a little bit of waiting!

During this Christmas season, we may set our attention upon waiting for the Lord. God has promised to send the Savior, and He has made good on this promise. And yet, that same Savior has promised to come again. At His second advent, Christ shall not come as the suffering servant but as the conquering king.